http://mmajunkie.comNOTTINGHAM, England – Matt Wiman had never tapped out, yet the undefeated Paul Sass had submitted 12 of his 13 opponents. So something had to give.

Perhaps surprisingly, the fight ended via submission – but with Wiman in the win column.

The lightweight bout was part of Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 5 main card at Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. It aired on FUEL TV following prelims on Facebook.

Sass entered the bout with nine victories via triangle choke and three via heel hook, and he attempted both against Wiman after catching a kick and taking the fight to the mat. However, Wiman, who returned from a yearlong layoff due to injuries, was just as active on the mat and tried a triangle choke before eventually moving to an armbar attempt.

Wiman initially didn’t have the position he needed for the submission. However, when Sass tried to scramble and moved away from the fencing, Wiman got the room he needed and torqued the British fighter’s arm to get the tap-out.

The end, which left the crowd in stunned silence, came at the 3:48 mark of the opening round.

“I had a lot of respect for a guy who had never lost before,” said Wiman, who choked back tears in his post-fight interview. “You have to go in there and take it from him. You can’t just go in there and break him.”

Wiman (15-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has quietly amassed a 5-1 record in his past six fights, all in the UFC. Sass (13-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), meanwhile, suffers the first loss of his five-year career.

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